Die



March 6, 1928.

C. A. MESSMER, JR

DIE

Filed July 2, 1926 Fig f.

Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES CHARLES A. MESSMER, JR., OF ST.{LOUIS, MISSOURI.

DIE.

Application filed July 2, 1926. Serial No. 120,008.

This invention relates generally to dies,

and pertains more particularly to a diethat is especially useful when employed in a clicking press to cut out blanks for the various parts of the uppers of boots and shoes and the like.

The prevailing practice heretofore has been to cut out the blanks in one operation by means of a blanking-out or marginal cutting die, and in a subsequent operation to employ a second die on the blanks to produce ornamental perforations thereon or to indent or otherwise mark the blanks, as, for instance, to define a line to be followed as a guide in subsequent stitching or for other purposes. Both operations consume time and require considerable skill on the part of the operator, the blanking-out operatic-n necessitating careful placing of the die on the stock to produce a maximum. number of blanks with a minimum of waste or scrap for a given piece of stock or material, and

. the second operation requiring skill in properly and expeditiously locating the second die on the blanks cutout by the first die.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide means for using 'both dies simultaneously in a single opera-' tion, thereby economizing time and eliminating the effort and skill heretofore required in performing the second operation. Another objectris to prov de means for connecting the two dies together so that they may be readily detached, if des red, and so that a plurality of different dies;may be used in pairs in different combinations.

Other objects and advantages, more'or less ancillary to the foregoing, will appear in the course of the following description of a preferred embodiment of this invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in which like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a d1e employed to produce ornamental perforatlons in a blanked-out upper of a boot or shoe;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a the employed to cut the marginal line of, or blank-out, the upper of a boot or shoe, and showing in dotted lines the manner of connecting the die of Figure 1 thereto;

Figure 3 is a vertical central sectional view through the connected palr of dies, taken on the line 33 in Figure 2;

"against the sides 9 of the sockets 5.

Figure 4- is a bottom plan view of an indenting die, illustrating the manner of its connection to the marginal die of Figure 2; and v t i Figure 5 is an end elevation of the dies exhibited in Figure. 4, with parts broken away to show avertical central section.

The marginal die'co-mprise's a blade 1, preferably of-steel, and bent to conform to the outline of the blank 2, to be died-out thereby. The blade is of substantial thickness at its base or under-side 3, and tapers. to a sharpened cutting edge 4 on its oper ating side. The base 3 is recessed at inter vals to provide a plurality of sockets 5 adapted for the reception of projections 6, that extend laterally from the inner or sec- 0nd die 7 that produces the ornamental per- I forations in the blank 2. The projections or tongues 6 are preferably formed of metal,

such as steel, and are bifurcated to form prongs 8, that are adapted to bear resiliently The sides 9 preferably converge toward their outer ends so that the sockets 5 present constricted necks or entrances, which securely hold the prongs 8 in position at the bottoms of the sockets, since the prongs are normally spread so that thetonguesarewider than the necks of the sockets. The prongs preferably have rounded outer longitudinal edges 10 so that they may be freely snapped into the sockets under pressure. It will be observed that the diesare definitely and precisely located with relation to one another, since the tendency of the resilient prongs to bear against the sides 9 prevents any looseness or play at the tongue-and-socket connections, while the dies may be easily detached from one another by simply pulling them apart. The tongues 6 mi l? be formed integral with the die 7, or, if desired, in.

openings therefor in plate 16 and screwing into tapped openings in the plate 14. Re-

silient means, such as a block of sponge rubber 20, intermediates the plates 1% and 16, tending to urge the plate 16 against the heads 21 of the screws 19. In operation, the stock of leather or other suitable material 22 is placed upon the anvil 23 ot' the press, and the head 24 of the press is then caused to descend on the undersides 3 of the die 1 and, the plate 1% of the die 13, whereupon the edges 4 sever the blank 2 from the stock, while the edges 17 do not enter the stock by reason of their yielding to the reaction of the blank 2 because of the resiliency of the rubber pad 20, so that the edges 17 merely make indentations in the blank without incising it. Such indentations, ashereinbetore stated, may serve as guides for a'line of stitching.

l'laving thus fully described this invention, I hereby reserve the benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, as is evident that many minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a pair of dies, one of which is provided with a locating socket for the other andthe other of which presents a projection that is adapted to expand against the sides of the socket to maintain the dies. in prcdeteri'nined positions with relation .to one another. i i

2. A device of the character described comprising a pair of dies, one of which is provided with a locating socket having a constricted entrance andthe other of which presents a projection that is adapted to engage the socket to position the dies with relationto one another, the said projection being normally wider than the said entrance but being resiliently deformable to permit its passage therethrough.

3. A device of the character described comprising a pair of dies, one of which is provided with a locating socket and the other of which is provided with a bifurcated tongue whose prongs resiliently engage the sides of the socket to position the dies relatively to one another.

l. A device of the character described comprising a pair of dies, one/of which is provided with a locating socket having a constricted entrance and the other of which presents a tongue that is adapted to engage the socket to position the dies relatively to one another, the said tongue being normally wider than the said entrance and being bifurcated to form yieldable prongs that flex toward one another to permit passage through the said entrance.

5. A device of the character described eon'iprising a marginal die and a second die disposed within the marginal die, one of the said dies being recessed at intervals on its underside to provide a plurality of locating sockets tor the other die, and the other die presenting a plurality of bifurcated tongues whose prongs are adapted to resiliently engage the sides of the sockets.

6: A device of the character descriljied comprising a marginal die and a second die disposed within the marginal die, one of the said dies being recessed at intervals on its under-side to provide a pluralityot sockets presenting constricted entrances. and the other die presenting a plurality of bifurcated tongues that are normally wider than the said entrances but whose prongs are adapted to flex toward one another to permit passage of the said tongues through the said entrances. l

7, A device of the character described comprising a marginal die and a second die disposed within said marginal die, one of said dies being recessed at intervals on its underside to provide a pin 'ality of sockets, the sides thereof eonverging toward their outer end to present constricted necks, and the other die presenting a pluraltiy of bifurcated tongues that are normaly wider than the said constricted necks. the sides of said tongues being beveledv outwardly to engage the converging sides of said sockets upon flexing the tongues toward one another for passage through said necks. A

8.11 device of the character described comprising a marginal die and a second die disposed within said marginal die. one of which is provided with a locating rwkct and the other of which is provided with a bifurcated tongue whose prongs resiliently engage the sides of the socket to position the dies relatively to one another, said sec- 0nd die comprising a plate integral with said tongues and an indenture plate resiliently carried by said first-mentioned plate.

9. The combination with a marginaldie' having a plurality of locating sockets, of an inner die comprising a base plate having a plurality of projections adapted to seat with said sockets for positioning the dies relatively, an indcntnre plate adjnstably connected to said first-mentioned plate and resilient means positioned between said plates to permit the movement of said indenture plate during the operation thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my signature.

CHARLES A. MESSMER. JR. 

